The bloodletting at Goldman Sachs might not be done yet as the bank looks for more ways to cut costs
Advertisement
Dan DeFrancesco
Jan 18, 2023, 18:54 IST
Reuters
Good morning!Dan DeFrancesco checking in from NYC, which isn't as fancy as Davos, but certainly more fun these days in the absence of all those executives.
Anyone hoping Goldman's fourth-quarter earnings report would represent a fresh start for the bank was sorely disappointed.
Insider's Carter Johnson, Dakin Campbell, and Emmalyse Brownstein report that high expenses are set to remain a lingering issue at the bank in the coming months. And instead of providing reassurance that the bank was ready to move forward, Tuesday's earnings call was another reminder that more cost cutting would be required to get back on track.
Advertisement
One key point of consideration is Goldman's Platform Solutions division, which includes a mishmash of pieces from what was the bank's consumer and wealth management division.
That group lost nearly $4 billion from 2020 to 2022, the bank reported on Tuesday. And while it might sound like a lost cause at this point, Goldman isn't giving up just yet.
"Our focus remains singularly on driving toward profitability of this segment, but there will continue to be a period of time during which we lose money until we reach that point of ultimate profitability," Denis Coleman, Goldman Sachs' chief financial officer, said during the earnings call.
That puts Goldman in a difficult spot: The bank recognizes it needs to cut costs, but also doesn't want to completely gut the division that is costing it the most money.
Disappointing bonuses among more profitable segments of the bank, such as trading, could be an indication the bank is hoping to subsidize Platform Solutions with its bigger earners.
How long those folks are willing to stick around, though, remains to be seen.
2. Inside the bro culture at Tiger Global Management. Questions around the work environment at the hedge fund are coming to light after a report of a $10 million payment Tiger made to a former female employee over allegations of harassment. More on what some say it's like to work at Tiger.
4. Wall Street's 2023 predictions are already missing the mark. The general consensus across the Street was a difficult start that would lead to a recession before an eventual turnaround by year end. But less than a month into 2023, that doesn't seem to be the case. Read more on how Wall Street analysts got it so wrong.
5. The gloves come off with ESG. BlackRock CEO Larry Fink told Bloomberg that people are starting to get really nasty when it comes to ESG investing, including making personal attacks. More on why debates over ESG are getting ugly.
6. This is where investors are placing their bets when it comes to climate tech. Speaking of ESG, we asked VCs where startups can have the most impact when it comes to solving the climate crisis. These are the three areas they are most keen on.
8. The founders of a bankrupt crypto hedge fund want to create a marketplace for people to trade crypto bankruptcy claims. Su Zhu and Kyle Davies, founders of failed crypto hedge fund Three Arrows Capital, are looking to raise $25 million for their marketplace, which is currently named GTX, in what is surprisingly not an article from The Onion. What could possibly go wrong?
9. How much do you make? Conversations around pay have long been considered taboo, but that's starting to change. Insider's Aki Ito embraced the salary-transparency trend head on by sharing her compensation with friends, colleagues, and sources. Here's how it went.
NewsletterSIMPLY PUT - where we join the dots to inform and inspire you. Sign up for a weekly brief collating many news items into one untangled thought delivered straight to your mailbox.